Dying Inverts

animalrie · 10/04/2017, 11:19 AM

Hey all!

I'm just now getting back in the hobby with a 24 gallon AIO tank. I have a little bit of a mystery on my hands. After it finished cycling with live sand and dry rock (completed based on testing about 3.5 weeks ago), I added some blue leg hermits and nassarius/cerith snails. They went straight to cleaning but then slowly started dying. Levels were all testing fine (posted below) so I chalked it up to being from Petco (they were the last living creatures in the tanks they came from so I probably shouldn't have gotten them in the first place).

Now, I've had several other inverts die and I'm not sure what's happening! Could it be fluctuations due to a new tank? Everything I have been testing for has been fine. Here's more info:

Set up: tank's been running for 6 weeks.

Testing: been using the API test kit (giving ranges because it's tough for me to accurately read the colors)
Nitrates: previously holding steady between 0-5ppm. Just tested today and they were 5-10ppm (maybe due to the invert deaths?) -> did a water change today
Nitrites: 0ppm
Ammonia: 0ppm
pH: 8.0-8.2
Salinity (with refractometer): 1.025
Temp: 78-79F

Livestock:
Tailspot blenny (added 2 weeks ago): doing great
Wheeler's goby (added 1 week ago): doing great; only weird thing is every once in a while (maybe every 2-3 minutes) he forcefully pushes water through his gills. Doesn't seem stressed or anything so I don't know if this is normal for him.
Corals (a couple of acans and a torch): doing great
Cerith snails: doing great
Nassarius snails: most doing great

Deaths:
Cleaner shrimp: noticed he got black spots soon after I purchased him and they progressed quickly. Came home one day to see a molt + a dead shrimp

Fighting conch: just didn't move much once I stuck him in the tank a week ago (got him from LiveAquaria) and found my pom-pom crab munching on him this morning
Pistol shrimp: this is a MAYBE. He paired with the goby and built his tunnel but ever since the cleaner shrimp died, I haven't seen him. It's been 2 days so he could just be molting. I'm really hoping he's still kicking.
Random snails/blue leg hermits: I've found random nassarius snails and hermits dead but others are doing great. I only started with about 8 snails total.

These animals don't just die immediately, they seem to waste away.

Sorry for the long post! Hoping someone can give me an idea of what's going on here.

mcgyvr · 10/05/2017, 04:45 AM

I would try using a polyfilter and see if you get any color change out of it indicating copper,etc..
If nothing but a brown color change then chalk it up to "death happens"..

animalrie · 10/05/2017, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

I would try using a polyfilter and see if you get any color change out of it indicating copper,etc..
If nothing but a brown color change then chalk it up to "death happens"..

Thanks so much for the advice! I have purigen in there, does that do the same think as a polyfilter?

scooter31707 · 10/06/2017, 10:40 AM

Are you feeding them? Just finishing a cycle there is not for them to feed on.

billdogg · 10/06/2017, 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

I would try using a polyfilter and see if you get any color change out of it indicating copper,etc..
If nothing but a brown color change then chalk it up to "death happens"..

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooter31707

Are you feeding them? Just finishing a cycle there is not for them to feed on.

^^^Both of these^^^

I have 1 scarlet reef hermit, 2 turbo snails and a few cerith and nassarius snails as the CUC in my very well established 120DT. IMHO, the people claiming that you need a huge CUC are just trying to sell you CUC.

ReeferNoob4ever · 10/06/2017, 01:12 PM

I had a shrimp that got those black spots and died. I don't know if it's a disease and/or can spread to other inverts, but the 2 turbo snails that were in with the sick shrimp are still going strong.

animalrie · 10/08/2017, 07:45 PM

Thanks for all your advice! So far no more invert deaths. The only food they're getting (besides what little algae I have) is some leftovers from the fish's food.

10/04/2017, 11:19 AM	#1
animalrie Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 21	Dying Inverts Hey all! I'm just now getting back in the hobby with a 24 gallon AIO tank. I have a little bit of a mystery on my hands. After it finished cycling with live sand and dry rock (completed based on testing about 3.5 weeks ago), I added some blue leg hermits and nassarius/cerith snails. They went straight to cleaning but then slowly started dying. Levels were all testing fine (posted below) so I chalked it up to being from Petco (they were the last living creatures in the tanks they came from so I probably shouldn't have gotten them in the first place). Now, I've had several other inverts die and I'm not sure what's happening! Could it be fluctuations due to a new tank? Everything I have been testing for has been fine. Here's more info: Set up: tank's been running for 6 weeks. Testing: been using the API test kit (giving ranges because it's tough for me to accurately read the colors) Nitrates: previously holding steady between 0-5ppm. Just tested today and they were 5-10ppm (maybe due to the invert deaths?) -> did a water change today Nitrites: 0ppm Ammonia: 0ppm pH: 8.0-8.2 Salinity (with refractometer): 1.025 Temp: 78-79F Livestock: Tailspot blenny (added 2 weeks ago): doing great Wheeler's goby (added 1 week ago): doing great; only weird thing is every once in a while (maybe every 2-3 minutes) he forcefully pushes water through his gills. Doesn't seem stressed or anything so I don't know if this is normal for him. Corals (a couple of acans and a torch): doing great Cerith snails: doing great Nassarius snails: most doing great Deaths: Cleaner shrimp: noticed he got black spots soon after I purchased him and they progressed quickly. Came home one day to see a molt + a dead shrimp Fighting conch: just didn't move much once I stuck him in the tank a week ago (got him from LiveAquaria) and found my pom-pom crab munching on him this morning Pistol shrimp: this is a MAYBE. He paired with the goby and built his tunnel but ever since the cleaner shrimp died, I haven't seen him. It's been 2 days so he could just be molting. I'm really hoping he's still kicking. Random snails/blue leg hermits: I've found random nassarius snails and hermits dead but others are doing great. I only started with about 8 snails total. These animals don't just die immediately, they seem to waste away. Sorry for the long post! Hoping someone can give me an idea of what's going on here.

10/05/2017, 04:45 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	I would try using a polyfilter and see if you get any color change out of it indicating copper,etc.. If nothing but a brown color change then chalk it up to "death happens".. __________________ Who me?

10/06/2017, 01:12 PM	#6
ReeferNoob4ever Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: NM Posts: 523	I had a shrimp that got those black spots and died. I don't know if it's a disease and/or can spread to other inverts, but the 2 turbo snails that were in with the sick shrimp are still going strong. __________________ Get a life! Current Tank Info: 20gL mixed reef, 10g mixed reef w/nem & clown, 5g NPS & harlequin

10/06/2017, 10:40 AM	#4
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	Are you feeding them? Just finishing a cycle there is not for them to feed on.

10/08/2017, 07:45 PM	#7
animalrie Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 21	Thanks for all your advice! So far no more invert deaths. The only food they're getting (besides what little algae I have) is some leftovers from the fish's food.